Profile: Burton's 2012 season worked out about as well as any NRI relievers' season can. He was formerly a very good reliever for the Reds before arm woes cost him nearly all of 2010 and '11, but it's still possible to argue that this past season was actually the best of his six-year big league career. Burton came back throwing harder than ever (92.9 mph) while displaying what he called a 'splangeup' -- splitter/changeup -- which was downright nasty (.201 wOBA, .459 OPS against on that offering). Relievers with any history of arm woes are probably never really out of the woods, but the Twins signed Burton to a deal through 2014 with a team-friendly $3.6 million team option for 2015. If he can remain healthy, he's likely to be the second arm out of the chute in save situations, with Glen Perkins acting as closer. In holds leagues, Burton has a chance to be a nice asset. Similarly, if Perkins should get injured, Burton would step in as the de facto closer. He's a stealth watch/add depending on your league. (Brandon Warne)

The Quick Opinion: Jared Burton was forgotten by baseball for two years. His 2012 season, however, assures that most fantasy owners in leagues of any depth should remember his name. At worst, a healthy Burton is the backup for closer Glen Perkins.

Profile: Burton has carved out a very nice role as the Twins eighth inning guy after coming over as a minor league free agent prior to the 2012 season. Burton had the role stripped from him briefly as he scuffled in June (7.45 ERA), but he was largely solid the rest of the way as part of the bridge to Glen Perkins in a solid Twins bullpen. Burton's best offering is something he calls a 'splangeup', which is a splitter/changeup hybrid that gets good two-plane break and when it's at its best is downright filthy. That's evidenced by the .177/.218/.208 slash line Burton allowed on it in 2013. But Burton isn't necessarily a spring chicken (33 in early June), and he isn't without competition for his role (Casey Fien came on strong last year). At this point he's the numer two in the Twins bullpen for saves, and would likely vault into the closer's role in the event of a Glen Perkins injury or trade -- if he's healthy. The Twins almost certainly won't trade Perkins, but Burton still needs to be on a fantasy owners short list of stealth save candidates. (Brandon Warne)

The Quick Opinion: Burton will be a nice target in holds leagues as the Twins will likely be better in 2014, but he's not likely to get many save chances unless Glen Perkins is injured or traded. He's a watchlist type.

Profile: Burton went completely off the rails in 2014, so much so that the Twins opted to buy out of his $3.6 million option for 2015. Pretty much everything across the board declined for the 33-year-old right-hander, from ground-ball rate, to strikeout rate, even down to the velocity on his fastball. Burton's prodigious changeup -- dubbed a 'splangeup' for its splitter-change break -- was more mortal this season as well. Opponents had a .572 OPS on it, which doesn't seem like much but still represents a 150-point jump from the season before. Couple that with a higher contact rate, higher zone rate, and lower swinging strike rate on the offering and that's simply part of what went into Burton's tough season. Burton was clearly usurped by Casey Fien as the number two candidate for saves, pitching more sixth and seventh innings later in the season than he did early on. Burton did however close when Perkins went down, thanks in part to Fien's late-season struggles, and perhaps a bit of hard-headedness from outgoing skipper Ron Gardenhire. Nevertheless, Burton is still on the street and will likely command a one-year deal with low base pay, or perhaps even a minor-league contract. He would make a good resurrection project for a team like the Tampa Bay Rays, who are known for that kind of thing. Chances are pretty good that he has some juice left, but it'll take a good fit for him to find it. (Brandon Warne)

The Quick Opinion: The wheels fell off for Burton in his third season with the Twins, and his option was declined at season's end. He is still seeking employment as of this writing, and will have to settle for a one-year deal or maybe even a minor-league deal.

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